Pacquiao Is Talking About Fighting McGregor

The fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather was the biggest boxing match in history. Rivaled only, perhaps, by the preceding Mayweather fight with Manny Pacquiao. Now, the circle of life is closing itself. Pacquiao has announced that he’s in negotiations to fight McGregor when he gets a break from his duties as a senator in the Philippines.

“If we can negotiate it, I have no problem. It is ok with both of us,” remarked Pacquiao when reporters asked him if he was soliciting a match with the MMA superstar.

The reporters asked Pacquiao if he had approached McGregor’s people to arrange the fight, and he responded, “Initially, but we have not yet had any follow-up conversations.”

Pacquiao heard a rumor that McGregor would be game for a match, and then posted a tweet that suggested he was game as well. “Happy Thanksgiving! Stay fit my friend. #realboxingmatch #2018 @thenotoriousmma”

Pacquiao will turn thirty-nine this month. He lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt to Jeff Horn in July.

Since the Mayweather fight, McGregor has not been seen back in the octagon. He shares his Mayweather loss in common with Pacquiao. Pacquiao was bested in the ‘fight of the century’ back in 2015, in what was previously the most-watched boxing match in the history of the sport.

Pacquiao is a mega-celebrity in his home country, and leveraged his success in the ring to a position as an elected official. He was elected to the Philippine Senate in 2016.

He’s had his eye on the ring ever since losing to Horn. Pacquiao made clear that McGregor is only one of many potential candidates for a fight that he’s considering.

“It depends who they can finalise as my opponent by April,” said Pacquiao. The match will have to occur during the Senate recess, which will last long enough to train and fight.

In addition to McGregor, Pacquiao is considering a Horn rematch, and a fight with Keith Thurman, a 29-year-old American fighter who currently holds the WBA Super Welterweight and WBC Welterweight titles.

Pacquiao’s next fight will probably be held in Malaysia, Dubai or Macau. It’s hard to imagine that the teased Pacquiao-McGregor fight won’t happen. It would land them both millions of dollars and would have the potential to either embarrass Pacquiao or vindicate McGregor’s upstart effort to enter the world of pro boxing as a legitimate competitor. We hope it happens, and will be tuned in.